Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): The administration of the American Mission Hospital in Bahrain issued a statement responding to what it dubbed "allegations affecting the hospital," following calls to boycott it for "cooperating with one of the hospitals of the Israeli occupation."

Bahrain inaugurated last week King Hamad American Mission Hospital (KHAMH), which was attended by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. 

The Israeli Sheba Medical Center will play an important role in this hospital, as it will be the first partner to inject ARC medical innovations (acceleration, redesign, collaboration), making Sheba the first Israeli hospital to provide medical services in Bahrain, the Arabic Euronews website reported.

The move sparked public anger among Bahrainis, who saw the move as a continuation of the normalization process. Meanwhile, activists on social media called for boycotting the hospital. In a similar step, Gulf Coalition Against Normalization called for boycotting the hospital and launched a campaign to boycott it on Avaaz website.

The hospital administration issued a statement denying any cooperation with other center. The statement was signed by the hospital CEO, George Cheriyan. It read:

"This is an official statement released by The American Mission Hospital in the Kingdom of Bahrain in response to the unfounded allegations of affiliations between the hospital and foreign entities that have recently surfaced on social media platforms.

We are, and have always been, a non-profit private hospital, solely owned by the Reformed Church in America. The hospital has been a purveyor of exceptional healthcare services for over 120 years in this beloved country. Our hospital was established on solid humanitarian and ethical values which we strive to maintain and reflect throughout service. We emphasize and reiterate that any statement implying the presence of a relationship between our institute and foreign institutes is far from the truth and we unequivocally refute it. Such disconcerting rumors may pose a negative impact on our hospital's reputation and are massively offensive to out caregivers and staff.

Last but not least, the American Mission Hospital adheres passionately to its founding principles of basic humanitarian rights to flourish in peaceful, loving, and caring environment, with unobstructed access to healthcare services to all people irrespective of ethnicity or faith. We strongly condemn all acts of aggression and violence against medical facilities and healthcare providers around the globe.

Warmest Regards"

Euronews website has stated that Dr.  George Cheriyan, CEO of the American Mission Hospital, expressed his pride in the support the project receives and said: "This unique center will improve the quality of health services provided in the Kingdom, which reinforces Bahrain's position as a regional destination for medical tourism in the region. We witnessed the development of the hospital and its transformation from a small clinic in Manama Market in 1895 to the first hospital in the region in 1902. We continue to work in an entrepreneurial spirit to continue the comprehensive modernization and development of the services we provide." 

Yoel Har-Even, director of the international department at Sheba Medical Center, said, "We are honored to have been selected by KHAMH and Dr. Cheriyan to bring leading medical technologies to this amazing facility."

Arabic Version